Combined mail-box.



Fcswa lm H. W. HABBNIOHT. COMBINED MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11,1913.

1,106,376, Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

amomdoa THE NORRIS PETERS Cll. PHOTD-LITHO., WASHINGTON. D. C.

mrw. HABENIGI-IT, or HARTINGTON, NEBRASKA.

columnar MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

Application filed July 11, 1913. Serial No. 778,538.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, HENRY W. HA sE- NIGHT, a citizen of theUnited States, reslding at Hartington, in the county of Cedar, State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Wail-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it app-ertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mail boxes and has particular reference to means for raising the usual indicating flag associated therewith.

The object of the invention resides in the provision in a mail box of means whereby when the door of the box is closed, the usual indicating flag will be automatically raised,

and the invention further contemplates the provision of means operable from without the box for rendering the first-named means inoperative and allowing theflag to fall, without actuating the door. r

A further object of the invention is to improve the general eificiency and simplify the structure of devices of the above character.

With these and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combination, formation and arrangement of parts to be more fully hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings wherein similarcharacters of refdesignate corresponding parts throughout the several Views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of the improved mail box, Fig. 2 is a side elevational View thereof, Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig.4 is a detail view of the letter and coin cup holder.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, there are provided two boxes A and B, one side wall 5 of the box A forming also the side wall of the box B. The box A is relatively large and is designed to hold parcel post packages, while the box Bis of the size and proportion and designed for the usage of an ordinary mail box. The front of the box A is provided at its upper end with a transverse strip 6 and has a door 7 hinged thereto and provided with a latch 8 adapted to rotate to engage the strip on its inner face and thus hold the door closed The front of the box B is similarly provided with a door 9 and the top of the box B is preferably slanting downwardly to its outer side. It will be readily appreciated that the structure above described may be greatly modified without affecting in any manner the patentability of the structure hereinafter described.

A flag member 10 is provided made of stout wlre and having its upper end portion bent to form a head 11 preferably in the shape of the letter M as shown in the drawings. The lower end of the shaft is directed laterally and j ournaled in an opening 12 inthe side wall 13 of the box B, whereby the flag member is supported to swing to lie in a horizontal plane or in a vertical plane, a suitable guide 14 being rovided on the outer face of the wall 13 and a stop '15 extending outwardly from the wall to limit the swinging movement of said member. In order that the flag member may be actuated when the door 9 of the box B is opened or closed, the lower end of the member is extended into the box and provided with a crank arm 16. Extending through a vertical slot 17 in the door 9 is a lever 18 which is pivotally connected to the door interme diate of the ends of the slot. The lever is extended over the crank arm and is provided with a notch 19 in its under face so that when the door is closed the offset portion of the crank arm will seat in the notch and the crank arm swung to raise the flag member to a substantially vertical position. As the flag member does not exactly attain a vertical position, when the door is opened and the notch withdrawn from the crank arm the flag will fall. As the lever extends outwardly of the door, it is apparent that the lever can be rocked to release the flag member without moving the door. For holding coins so that they may be procured with a minimum amount of trouble, a cup 20 is provided having a handle 21 extending from its upper edge. This cup is held on the wall 5 by a member which at the same time serves as a clip for holding letters. This is accomplished by providing a strip of resilient metal 22 bent in the shape of a ring and riveted at 23 and then having one end extended on the outer periphery of the ring and flared outwardly at 24L to provide a letter clip, said ringbeing bolted to the wall 5 at a point diametrically opposite the portion 24-.

The improved box is preferably mounted on a post 25. In order to securely hold the same thereon, a bracket is provided formed of a single strip of metal having one end bent downwardly to form the arm 26. The other end portion of the strip is bent diagonally downward and inward and then extended upwardly at 27 and secured to the intermediate portion of the strip. The arm 26 and the portion 27 embrace and are secured t0 the postyand the bottom of the box A is bolted or riveted to the intermediate portion of the strip, said intermediate pordoor adjacent the intermediate portion of 30 the slot and the under face of one end of the lever being disposed over the crank arm and provided with a notch to engage the crank arm and rotate the same. In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses. at

HENRY W. HABENIOHT. lVitnesses: J. J. GRIFFIN, V. G. ,HERTERT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. a a 

